Vodacom is stepping up its fight with rivals MTN and Cell C by introducing “free” on-network weekend and after-hours minutes to its contract subscribers from 1 May 2010.

“Vodacom contract customers will receive up to three hours of free calls to use over weekends or weekday nights to call other Vodacom customers,” the company says.

“Most customers on contract packages will now get a ‘more minutes’ bundle to use during weekends or weekday nights from 8pm-7am,” Vodacom says. “The allocated free minutes are based on the contract package the customer subscribes to and can be used to call other Vodacom customers.”

Vodacom SA MD Shameel Joosub says there will be no change to contract subscription charges.

The number of free minutes allocated will depend on the contract. “A customer who subscribes to a Talk 240 contract package can choose to receive 60 free minutes to use over weekends or 30 free minutes to use during weekday evenings, to call other Vodacom customers, at no additional cost,” Joosub says.

The allocation of the monthly “more minutes” bundle will default to weekend minutes. However, customers have the option of changing their weekend minutes to weekday evening minutes by calling the Vodacom call centre.

Vodacom says it has also reduced certain peak call rates and simplified out-of-bundle call rates on contract packages to include two rates that apply all day — one rate for calling Vodacom customers and another for calling customers on other networks. — Staff reporter, TechCentral